Poetry · Chapter
Hymn explained
A hymn written at the request of a Christian Science friend, expressing a wish for peace and unity with the divine, though the author disclaims it as representing his own beliefs, which see the world as a scheme of mutual murder without jus
What happens
A hymn written at the request of a Christian Science friend, expressing a wish for peace and unity with the divine, though the author disclaims it as representing his own beliefs, which see the world as a scheme of mutual murder without justice or God.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional peak occurs when the speaker confesses that her love caused her own spiritual barrenness—“Mine t…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Faith and Doubt
The hymn is presented as a wish for belief in peace and divine unity, while the author admits his own inability to hold such faith due to his perception of a world without justice or God.
- Suffering and Transformation
The hymn calls for laying down burdens and stanching the heart's bleeding, suggesting a transformation through ascent to peace.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator expresses a personal wish for beliefs of peace and divine unity, contrasting with his own inexorable capacity for seeing reality as a vast scheme of mutual murder.
Key passages
“I am at peace—no storm can ever touch me; On my clear heights the sunshine only falls; Far, far below glides the phantom voice of sorrows, In peace-lifted light the Silence only calls.”
I have reached a state of calm where nothing can disturb me; I am above all troubles, and only peace and silence call to me.
The opening lines describe an idealized state of serene detachment from sorrow.
“Lay down the burden;—stanch the heart’s sad bleeding; Be ye at peace, for know that Ye are God!”
Set down your troubles and stop your heart from grieving; be calm, because you are divine.
A central exhortation of the hymn, urging the listener to find peace in the realization of their own divinity.
“Ye are at one, and bound in Him forever, Ev’n as the wave is bound in the great sea; Never to drift beyond, below Him, never! Whole as God is, so, even so, are ye.”
You are united with God eternally, like a wave is part of the ocean; you can never be separated from Him, and you are as complete as God is.
The closing lines affirm a pantheistic unity of the soul with the divine.
